Samsung is yet to launch the Galaxy S21 FE, but the device has already run into issues. Reportedly, Samsung has had to halt the production of the Galaxy S21 FE after running into production issues due to component shortages.
The Galaxy S21 FE will be a cheaper alternative to Samsung’s current flagship Galaxy S21 lineup while offering most of its features.
Samsung Reportedly Halts Production of the Galaxy S21 FE
The exact reason behind the production issues is unclear. A now-deleted report from the Korean news portal ETNews claimed that Samsung had suspended the Galaxy S21 FE production due to a semiconductor shortage.
Citing an industry source, the report stated that there are not enough Snapdragon 888 chips for Samsung to use. The company has allocated its Snapdragon 888 chip inventory to its upcoming foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Flip 2.
Reliable Samsung leaker @UniverseIce also claimed that the Galaxy S21 FE has run into production issues, and the company was canceling orders for various components of the device.
Leaked renders of the Galaxy S21 FE have revealed the device will have a design similar to the Galaxy S21. It will seemingly feature a 6.4-inch flat 120Hz dynamic AMOLED display and a triple-camera setup.
However, the original report and the tweets from the leaker have been deleted since then. It is unclear what exactly led to the retraction of the report and the tweets. Samsung did in a way acknowledge the report and issued the following statement to Bloomberg:
While we cannot discuss details of the unreleased product, nothing has been determined regarding the alleged production suspension.
At this point, it is difficult to ascertain what Samsung has decided to do with the Galaxy S21 FE. The Galaxy S20 FE, announced last year, was a massive success for the company, and many consumers are expecting a follow-up model from the company this year.
While Samsung has not canceled the Galaxy S21 FE, it has seemingly temporarily stopped its production. This could lead to the launch of the phone being delayed by one or two months. The Galaxy S21 FE was originally expected to launch in late July or early August.
Major Semiconductor Shortage Could Be the Culprit Here
Samsung has already warned of a major semiconductor shortage, which it expects to worsen in the second half of this year. Due to this “serious imbalance” in the semiconductor supply, Samsung decided not to launch the Galaxy Note 21 in 2021. The semiconductor shortage has also affected other Samsung devices that remain in tight supply.
Samsung is not the only company affected by the semiconductor shortage, though. Production of Gaming consoles, smart home products, and even the production of vehicles have been affected by the semiconductor shortage, which could run into next year as well.
Without the Galaxy S21 FE and no new Galaxy Note flagship device, Samsung would be only left with two new foldable devices to attract premium customers in the second half of 2022, which could have an adverse impact on its overall smartphone sales.